Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Meath Telephone Service.

Thursday, 13 March 1975

Mr. Crinion:asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when the telephone exchange in Oldcastle, County Meath, will be converted to automatic working.

Minister for Posts and Telegraphs (Dr. Cruise-O'Brien):It is hoped to convert the exchange to automatic working in about three years.

Mr. Crinion:In view of the fact that Cavan has gone automatic would the Minister not consider having Oldcastle included in the automatic exchange?

Dr. Cruise-O'Brien:As the Deputy, I think, is aware, Oldcastle is included in the scheme under the 1973 Telephone Capital Bill. However, it is a question of taking it stage by stage and Oldcastle does not come that high up on the list. At the moment we are looking for a site for an automatic exchange building in Oldcastle and some difficulty has been experienced in obtaining a suitable site. Legal formalities are in train at present for acquisition of the site. We shall press ahead with this as fast as we can, and if we can beat that deadline we shall do so.

60.

Mr. Crinion:asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs why a telephone was not installed for a person (name supplied) in County Meath last month, in view of the fact that telephones were installed for three of his neighbours and he applied at the same time as one at least of these persons.

Dr. Cruise-O'Brien:The application of the person named by the Deputy has been deferred because it requires abnormal linework between the applicant's premises and the nearest common cable route. There are some 350 other applications in [618] County Meath similarly deferred because of the abnormal linework involved. It is hoped to start clearing them in the latter part of the year.

The linework provided recently to some three other applicants in the area to which the question relates was not abnormal.

Mr. Crinion:In view of the fact work was going on in the area it would not have taken that much to continue on a further half a mile to this man.

Dr. Cruise-O'Brien:My Department have to work according to fairly stringent priorities in this matter. There is the matter of abnormal line work, which is defined as line work exceeding a quarter mile of new pole route. In certain conditions, when there is heavy pressure, such applications are put on one side while attention is given to those which can be handled more easily. The three other cases mentioned by the Deputy were not abnormal in this way.

Mr. Crinion:In view of the fact that this man is a cattle haulier——

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle:The Deputy is making an argument.

Mr. Crinion:In view of the fact that this man is a cattle haulier——

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle:The Deputy will appreciate that he is making an argument.

Mr. Crinion:It is not an argument. I am asking a question. In view of the fact that this man is a cattle haulier and all his business and that of his competitors——

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle:The Deputy will appreciate that he is making an argument.

Mr. Crinion:I am asking for special consideration in view of the fact that he is a cattle haulier. Would the Minister not consider giving preference to people where all their business is determined by the phone?

Dr. Cruise-O'Brien:The question of priorities for telephone installation is naturally complex and every circumstance of this case has been carefully looked into.